SMAP is the second mission awarded by NASA under the current Not-to-Exceed $16 million Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) task order contract that runs through December, 2017. The Jet Propulsion Lab satellite, scheduled to launch in October, 2014, will gather global measurements of soil moisture and its freeze/thaw state from space. The three-year applied science mission will enhance weather forecasts and climate monitoring and prediction capabilities.

"Astrotech is proud to have been selected by NASA for this important earth science mission," stated ASO General Manager Don M. White, Jr. "We are excited to be part of a mission that will provide valuable information about our planet. SMAP will increase understanding of the conditions that influence floods and droughts, wildfires, ecosystem health, water resources, agriculture and forestry."